Eric Bowman

Strategic Architect

"It's all about the innovation, about being specialists in the technology field. For some that's too hard, for others - it floats their boat."

"I'm actually based in Dublin but I commute in for six days a month. I have architectural responsibility of the software platforms that we deliver over the internet, such as search routes. I've also been the technical lead for routes.tomtom.com which involved supplying traffic information for TV and the media. Right now, I'm looking after four or five Software Development projects, but a large part of my job involves looking at the strategic direction which TomTom should be going in.

"There's plenty of training and support: conferences to go to, courses to attend… But I prefer on-the-job training. If you need a particular book, there's the budget for that and I feel that people learn something extra by taking their own initiative.

"It's a hive of activity here, really busy and extremely vibrant and fast-paced.

Everyone's in their twenties and thirties. They're all very smart and take what's largely academic and apply it to real-world situations. It's a great opportunity to dive in and mix theory with practice."